Short-term contracting work may have long-term benefits

Blogger Jay Rollins thinks now is a good time for companies to hire independent contractors to work on small projects. One possible benefit is that the short-term arrangement could lead to a long-term client relationship.

CIO in Action blogger Jay Rollins thinks now is a good time for companies to hire independent contractors to work on small projects that may be on the back burner. He says types of projects that are perfect for contract labor are: cleaning up backup error messages, automating small data applications, and optimizing Microsoft SharePoint.

Jay adds that a side benefit of hiring contractors for short-term work is, "When the labor market starts to turn around, you already have a relationship with a high-quality resource that has demonstrated value within your company. It's a perfect try before you buy scenario." TechRepublic member Glen Ford echoes that statement in the discussion. He writes, "Every manager should have a stable of independent consultants/contractors that they can call in at need."

Offer your thoughts about short-term work

Due to the economy, have you noticed an uptick in clients requesting short-term projects instead of committing to long-term projects? If you've worked short-term projects, what were the benefits and the drawbacks (if any)? Do many of your short-term projects turn into long-term client relationships? Please share your experiences in the discussion.